More than 11,500 solar panels aid MINI to harness renewable energy

More than 11,500 solar panels, covering an area more than 20,000 square metres, are aiding MINI to harness renewable energy to power the marque's plant in Oxford. The photovoltaic system is fully commissioned and could generate over 3MW - enough electricity to power the equivalent of 850 households.

Frank Bachmann, Managing Director of MINI Plant Oxford, remarked, "We are delighted that our new solar farm is now up and running and already producing green energy for Plant Oxford. It is fitting that the first of these panels have gone onto our new bodyshop as the building has been designed with environmental performance at its heart."

The plant's bodyshop, which contains 1,000 robots, was opened at the end of last year to build the new MINI hatchback.

The building already has an impressive list of environmental credentials including 3,869 individually programmable LED lights, a special energy-saving 'rest mode' for the robots, a water harvesting system to supply the toilets and heat wheels in the building's roof, which control the recirculation and admission of fresh air to reduce the amount of heating and cooling required.